8 | Foreword Welcome to the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme Big Pitch 2026. We are living through a period of extraordinary change. Advances in computing power, genomics, robotics, medicines, data, and artificial intelligence are reshaping what is possible in healthcare at a pace we have never seen before. These seismic shifts are not incremental, they are transforming how we understand disease, deliver care, and design entirely new models of treatment and prevention. This will be a defining era for healthcare and life sciences. Those who embrace innovation, talent, and new ways of thinking will set the global standard for decades to come. The NHS holds a unique advantage: the ingenuity of its people, the strength of its values, and the depth of its clinical and patient insight. By harnessing these assets and supporting bold ideas and entrepreneurial talent, we can position ourselves as global leaders in healthcare and life sciences technology, delivering better outcomes for patients and shaping the future of medicine. To those on the programme: continue to be curious, to explore what can be done better, and to challenge the status quo with your ideas, because you will help shape what comes next. Sir James Mackey Chief Executive Officer, NHS England A forward-looking health system does more than treat illness—it drives productivity, sparks innovation, and fuels national progress. For a decade, the NHS Clinical and Patient Entrepreneur Programmes have proven that the best solutions come from those on the front lines, be that the clinician caring for patients, or patients receiving care. But transforming the NHS is a collective mission. By empowering our clinicians, patients, and researchers to scale their ideas through this programme, we will make the UK one of the leading centres globally for healthcare innovation and world-class care. David Lawson Director of Medical Technology & Innovation at Department of Health and Social Care
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